Hon Willie Jackson
Minister for Employment

Northland Skills Leadership Group to be eyes and ears for labour market in the region

A Regional Skills Leadership Group has been established to help support Northland’s changing labour market.

The group is one of 15 Regional Skills Leadership Groups in New Zealand, set up by the Government to identify and support better ways of meeting future skills and workforce needs in our region.

“These groups were planned before the arrival of Covid-19 as part of a joined up approach to labour market planning which will see our workforce, education and immigration systems working together to better meet the differing skills needs across the country”, said Willie Jackson.

“This work is now more important than ever as Covid-19 is having a far-reaching impact on our regional labour markets. We have acted quickly to get these groups going. They will help ensure we understand the impact that Covid-19 is having on jobs in Northland, and so can tailor the support provided.”

The groups provide independent advice, which employers and government agencies will act on to help re-employ, redeploy or retrain workers and entrepreneurs who have lost their jobs or closed their businesses.

The Northland group will be co-chaired by Toa Faneva, Te Kahu O Taonui Iwi Lead for the collective of the 11 Te Tai Tokerau Iwi and CEO of Te Rūnanga o Whaingaroa and Murray Reade, CEO of Northland Inc.

“Initially, we will be the eyes and the ears on the ground”, said Murray Reade.

“Each region in New Zealand is facing their own unique set of challenges and I am pleased that the Government is keen to work with us as partners in Northland.

Toa Faneva said that, as we are transitioning from emergency management to longer-term recovery efforts, this group will be ideally placed to get our region the best support possible.

Members are regional industry leaders, economic development agencies, and iwi, worker and government representatives, who will contribute their knowledge and local expertise.

They will be supported by a team of data analysts, policy advisors and workforce specialists at the Ministry of Business, Employment and Innovation.

The groups will work closely with local and national initiatives including six Workforce Development Councils (WDCs). WDCs will focus on industry specific training needs across all of New Zealand while Skills Leadership Groups will offer a regional perspective on skills needs. Today, the Tertiary Education Commission announced the WDC interim Establishment Board (iEB) members that will be responsible for the formation of all six WDCs by a target date of October 2020.

The 15 Regional Skills Leadership Groups are initially set up on an interim, one-year basis with a swift appointment process, and a mandate to support the immediate response to the regional labour market impacts and disruption arising from COVID-19.

In the longer term, the groups will develop Regional Workforce Plans, which project labour supply needs, to ensure the regions have the right skills and workforce planning to seize local economic opportunities.

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